in·hi·bi·tion

inhibition (in´hibish´ən),

n a neurologic phenomenon associated with the transmission of an impulse across a synapse. An impulse can be blocked from passing a synapse in a reflex situation by the firing of another, more dominant nerve. It can be achieved directly by preventing the passage of an impulse along an axon, or it can be achieved by liberation of a chemical substance at the nerve ending. This chemical inhibition is demonstrated by the sympathetic-parasympathetic control over smooth muscle activity in a blood vessel. Inhibition is the restraining of a function of a tissue or organ by some nervous or hormone control. It is the opposite of excitation.

inhibition

arrest or restraint of a process.

competitive inhibition

inhibition of enzyme activity by an inhibitor (a substrate analog) that competes with the substrate for binding sites on the enzymes.

contact inhibition

inhibition of cell division and cell motility in normal animal cells when in close contact with each other.

end-product inhibition

see feedback inhibition (below).

feedback inhibition

a common way of regulating enzyme activity in which the reaction product (or in the case of a biosynthetic pathway, the product of the reaction sequence) inhibits the enzyme activity. Called also end-product inhibition.

neurological inhibition

the intermittency of transmission of nervous impulses depends on variations in the balance between excitation and inhibition, the latter being either pre- or postsynaptic.

noncompetitive inhibition

inhibition of enzyme activity by substances that combine with the enzyme at a site other than that utilized by the substrate.

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